252 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



trees. Those entirely broken off and the worst disfigured were replaced early in 

 spring by stock upon which the old varieties will be grafted next spring. Three 

 sprayings with Bordeaux mixture and arsenic were given and insects were not 

 bothersome during the season except the apple tree aphis which proved almost in- 

 vulnerable to the action of tobacco water which was used twice. The sprayings did 

 but partially subdue the scab which appeared early in the season upon the leaves 

 of Flemish Beauty pear trees, and no better results were obtained against shot 

 hole fungus which affected most of the plum trees, though these trees had been 

 given an extra spraying before the buds opened, and one after blossoming. While 

 pruning trees early in April, some inoffensive small, dry leaves were seen clinging 

 to the small limbs of apple trees. Their peculiar shape attracted attention, the 

 leaflets being rolled up in a way which in shape made them appear as miniature 

 blossoms of the Indian turnip, and the base of the leaf stalk being invariably 

 attached just below a bud by means of silky threads wound around the limbs. 

 Each leaflet was found to contain an emaciated and almost lifeless larva, and 

 Prof. R. H. Pettit, to whom specimens were sent, described them as Basilarchia 

 arthemis (banded purple) and as not known to be injurious to fruit trees. The 

 latter statement, however, was not considered satisfactory, since the peculiar man- 

 ner of attaching the leaves with the apex invariably pointed towards a bud, ap- 

 peared to have been done for a well defined purpose. During the first warm day 

 when the buds had just begun to open, one of the larva was seen to chew up the 

 nearby freshly opened bud. When a second larva was found to destroy a bud three 

 or four inches away from the rolled up leaf which was then empty, and the inter- 

 vening buds showed that they had been destroyed within a few hours, there was 

 uo further room for doubt as to the nature of the larvae, especially when no other 

 larvae could be found upon the same limb, and the remaining buds were found 

 to be in good condition. A hurried harvest of hundreds of the rolled up leaflets 

 followed, and the injury from the arthemis was pi'actically at an end. 



Several species of loop worms became numerous during midsummer when 

 spraying had been stopped. Most of the worms, however, soon disappeared, being 

 evidently killed by Braconids which more or less covered most of the worms. 



Close attention and a persistent warfare of nearly two weeks early in spring, 

 prevented damage from the cherry beetle (Calerucella cavicollis), the worst insect 

 pest in this region. The beetle is as voracious as the potato bug, which it closely 

 resembles in habits, if not in size or color. Emerging from the ground as soon as 

 the cherry leaves begin to open, and with an appetite sharpened by a whole winter's 

 fast, a dozen beetles will often make short work of the tender foliage of a young 

 tree. As cherry trees blossom soon after the leaves begin to develop, spraying 

 against the beetles would hardly be countenanced by the true orchardist. Various 

 other means of destruction suggested by Prof. Pettit will be experimented upon 

 hereafter. Meanwhile the injury during last spring was averted by catching the 

 beetles as they were climbing up the trees, and by digging them out of the ground 

 at the base of the trees; the beetles hibernating 2 to 4 inches below the surface, and 

 not further than three to four inches away from the trees. From 58 to 92 beetles 

 were dug out from under each tree, and almost as many were caught climbing up. 

 Over 4,000 beetles and their ultimate progeny were thus destroyed and none were 

 seen during the rest of the season. 



As elsewhere, Giwnmosis affects the sweet cherries. With only two varieties on 

 hand, and only 2 trees of each, it is somewhat difficult to try experiments which 

 would lead towards the discovery of a remedy. As a result of experiments made 

 in a small way during the past two seasons, a simple remedy would appear to 

 be of some l)enefit, even though little has been possible towards finding a pre- 

 ventative. Presuming, and no doubt correctly, that fungus and other diseases 

 find a ready means of entrance through the openings caused by the freshly exuding 

 gum, and that the souring of the gum materially retards, if not prevents the mend- 

 ing of the broken tissues, the bark was slit open oh one of the Gov. Wood trees, 

 as soon as gam was seen to exude, and the cavity filled with soft clay. In case of 

 heavy rains following, the operation was repeated, and the tissues were soon 

 found to be healing over rapidly. The other tree was left untreated, and at this, 

 'he end of the second season, there is a marked contrast between the two trees, 

 the untreated tree being nearly one-half inch less in diameter, and the top not 

 being half as well developed. 



The growth of all cherry trees has been remarkably thrifty, many trees measur- 

 ing 8 inches in circumference. Since only one year has elapsed since they have 

 been set out in the permanent orchard, it was not deemed advisable to let them 



